BGP on Windows Desktop (opens in new tab)

(goldensyrupgames.com)

42 pointsGSGBen3y ago18 comments

18 comments

At first I thought this was going to just be a go program handling BGP data. And then I saw they injected the routes into the local windows FIB. Somewhere a CCIE is crying silently, and doesn't know why.

I get that it works, but something about this feels...deeply wrong :)

kazen443y ago

Running BGP on servers is incredibly useful though, especially on things like proxies and loadbalancers.

For instance, running services on loopback/dummy interfaces and announcing those IP's with BGP to the core network makes implementing anycast really, really easy.

eqvinox3y ago

You don't need FIB install for that.

For any amount of reasonable distinction of "servers" and "routers", you should never need a FIB install on a server. There are good reasons to keep these functions separate (most prominently, address ownership/binding issues with services that are frequently not designed to deal with multiple interfaces/route choices.)

NB: this is not about physical devices. VMs/containers on your host are frequently "servers" while the hypervisor is a "router".

1 more reply

mike_d3y ago

Every day we stray further from God's light.

pm22223y ago

BGP on desktop is the same as ipv6 for home in terms of usefulness and practicality.

zamadatix3y ago

I wonder if Windows can take a full table without tipping over internally.

ogurechny3y ago

I was also hoping for “How to get full view to your bedroom PC because you want REAL load balancing BOTH WAYS, not some kiddie destination hashing”.

eqvinox3y ago

To be fair, BGP helps even less with traffic going to the same destination than plain old hash-based link aggregation does :)

tptacek3y ago

This is just snark, right? Full tables aren't even close to the largest databases handled casually by Windows servers.

vbitz3y ago

The question is if the routing table implementation in Windows (I assume inside the kernel) can handle it.

1 more reply

noyoudumbdolt3y ago

First paragraph of TFA says Windows Server supports BGP. But hey, I guess you don’t let facts get in the way of some anti-Windows snarky shitposting.

zamadatix3y ago

The question is about the FIB side of the equation. It’s not an anti-windows remark it’s just a question since I’ve never done full tables on Windows and I don’t know it to be a supported use case. The BGP feature in Server versions is intended for cloud gateway not internet. Even the Linux kernel takes some parameter tuning to gracefully receive a full table without complaints. It’s a million routes in systems which typically have less than 10 after all.

eqvinox3y ago

Supporting BGP and supporting BGP with a DFZ full table are not the same thing. And achieving a particular packet/line rate in either of those scenarios is yet another.

Maybe check your own knowledge base, background and perspective before calling something shitposting?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

18 comments

count3y ago

I get that it works, but something about this feels...deeply wrong :)

kazen443y ago

Running BGP on servers is incredibly useful though, especially on things like proxies and loadbalancers.

For instance, running services on loopback/dummy interfaces and announcing those IP's with BGP to the core network makes implementing anycast really, really easy.

eqvinox3y ago

You don't need FIB install for that.

NB: this is not about physical devices. VMs/containers on your host are frequently "servers" while the hypervisor is a "router".

1 more reply

mike_d3y ago

Every day we stray further from God's light.

pm22223y ago

BGP on desktop is the same as ipv6 for home in terms of usefulness and practicality.

zamadatix3y ago

I wonder if Windows can take a full table without tipping over internally.

ogurechny3y ago

I was also hoping for “How to get full view to your bedroom PC because you want REAL load balancing BOTH WAYS, not some kiddie destination hashing”.

eqvinox3y ago

To be fair, BGP helps even less with traffic going to the same destination than plain old hash-based link aggregation does :)

tptacek3y ago

This is just snark, right? Full tables aren't even close to the largest databases handled casually by Windows servers.

vbitz3y ago

The question is if the routing table implementation in Windows (I assume inside the kernel) can handle it.

1 more reply

noyoudumbdolt3y ago

First paragraph of TFA says Windows Server supports BGP. But hey, I guess you don’t let facts get in the way of some anti-Windows snarky shitposting.

zamadatix3y ago

eqvinox3y ago

Supporting BGP and supporting BGP with a DFZ full table are not the same thing. And achieving a particular packet/line rate in either of those scenarios is yet another.

Maybe check your own knowledge base, background and perspective before calling something shitposting?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse